Lioness of God
by A Knight of Tortall
Summary: Chapter FIVE up now!!! About Ariel of Landen, who wants to become a page before Kel, after Alanna. Is anyone K/N? TELL ME!!!
1. The Road to Knighthood

Disclaimer: I only own Ariel

Disclaimer: I only own Ariel. And some other things. Alanna, Kel, and the other characters all belong to O Mighty Goddess of Fantasy a.k.a. Tamora Pierce. I¡¦m sure you¡¦ll recognize what belongs to who. 

Lioness of God 

I am Ariel. Ariel of Landen, to be exact. Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to be a knight. When my family heard about Alanna the Lioness, I was even more excited. For that is what my name means.

Lioness of God.

My mother was dismayed when I told her my future plans, as I suspected she would be. I was the only girl out of five boys, and the one way I could help Landen was to marry. ¡§We are a small fief, Ariel,¡¨ my mother pleaded. ¡§Please, be sensible. Train to be a lady, not a knight. They¡¦ll never let you become a knight anyway, what with the scandal Lady Alanna is causing.¡¨

¡§Mama, it¡¦s _Sir _Alanna,¡¨ I had whined, four years old at the time. 

Now I am ten. That¡¦s when boys normally start training. So this morning, I approached my mother once more. 

¡§Mama¡K¡¨

¡§Hmm? Oh, Ariel, I¡¦ve been thinking, you need to be getting ready for a convent school, you¡¦re ¡V ¡¨ 

¡§That¡¦s what I wanted to tell you!¡¨ I¡¦d cried. ¡§I want to go to the palace. I want to train to be a knight. I want to rescue people and help them and do heroic deeds. I want to be a heroine like The Lioness. And I¡¦m leaving today.¡¨

¡§We can¡¦t always have what we want in life, Ariel,¡¨ she informed me gently.

¡§I _know_, Mama. But I want to be a knight¡K like Ian.¡¨

Her eyes clouded. Ian was my oldest brother. He¡¦d died fighting in the Tusaine War. So I really had six brothers¡K but not anymore. Suddenly Mama turned snappish and edgy.

¡§No. I won¡¦t have you die fighting like Ian. No. _No_. You will leave for the convent tomorrow, and you most certainly will not leave for the palace today. You are to stay here, understand?¡¨

I stood my ground. I realized that with Mama in this mood, she wouldn¡¦t let me leave willingly. But I also realized that it was my right ¡V my _duty_, to leave for the palace, on the way to knighthood. 

¡§Mama, I am going,¡¨ I dictated slowly. ¡§I am going to become a knight. It is only just. After all, I am a lioness of God, too.¡¨

My mother¡¦s eyes blazed. ¡§What are you talking about?¡¨ she snapped. ¡§The Lioness is The Lioness, and you are Ariel of Landen.¡¨

¡§My name means ¡¥lioness of God.¡¦¡¨

¡§Your name is your great-grandmother¡¦s name. Stop talking nonsense!¡¨ she hissed angrily.

¡§I found great-great-grandma¡¦s diary in an old storeroom full of family possessions. It turns out that she admired lionesses for their strength and courage, and because they were female lions. She named great-grandma after one.¡¨

Mama abruptly spun away. Then slowly, after a moment, she turned back to me. Reaching out a hand, she fingered my coal-black hair. It was a wondrous thing, my hair, curling in tumbling masses of ebony, shining far brighter than those with light-colored locks. Mama toyed with her own tresses. Hers was the same as mine, except she always wore it in an elegant bun, and it was a magnificent gold. Papa also said it was a little ray of sunlight, and mine was a tiny piece of night. Together, we were quite a pair. Papa¡¦s hair was black, like mine, but it was ordinary, not glorious like ours.

¡§What will you do with your hair, darling? It¡¦ll only get in the way.¡¨ There was deep sadness in her voice. ¡§I couldn¡¦t bear it if you ¡V had to ¡V ¡¨

¡§I¡¦ve got to cut it, Mama.¡¨

My mother bit her lip, and turned to walk away. Now it was time for my father.

I found him in his quarters. ¡§Papa, I want to be a knight,¡¨ I told him firmly. 

He stared at me. ¡§You must be mad! Girls become ladies, not knights!¡¨

¡§But Sir Alanna ¡V ¡¨

¡§_Lady _Alanna used her Gift to help her through her training! She is no warrior!¡¨

¡§Papa, no she didn¡¦t, and besides, I have the Gift too.¡¨ Black tinged with deep blue fire shimmered around my fingers, sparking dangerously.

¡§You are going to the convent, and that is final. I am not letting you go to the palace.¡¨

¡§I¡¦m going today, Papa, and you can¡¦t stop me!¡¨ I cried defiantly. I ran towards the door, but my father caught me by the arm, and held me tight. I looked into his eyes.

There was a deep anguish in there, a kind of terrible sadness that no one should ever have to experience. It was a flicker, and then it was gone. I stood, paralyzed by the amount of suffering something could hold. The blue, blue vastness turned stony, and burned deep into me. ¡§Ariel, listen to me. Knighthood is no way for a female to live. They¡¦re ¡V they¡¦re weaker, in more ways than one. Leave the fighting up to the men, Ariel, go to the convent.¡¨

The almost-mocking tone left me indifferent to his words. Females were weaker than males, eh? Well, we¡¦d see about that.

***

So here I am, alone in the woods. I¡¦ve nothing but a spare sword from my father¡¦s armory, a bow and arrows, a bundle of clothes, food, and money, blankets, and my mount, Twilight. I wasn¡¦t sure if you needed a sword or not, but it was safer this way. I soon realized it was ridiculous to bring a mount _and _a small supply of food. Twilight was forever nudging me for treats, and now I am dangerously low.

I set up camp for tonight, and started a small fire with my Gift. My instructor, Jocelyn, had taught me a number of useful spells, although I wasn¡¦t exactly _properly _trained. As I warmed myself, I heard a rustling in the leaves. I immediately whipped out my bow and stringed it with an arrow. ¡§Who¡¦s there?¡¨ I called shakily. My hands were trembling violently. It was my first night without my parents nearby, of course I was scared! 

A girl that looked to be about my age crept into the light of my fire. ¡§I¡¦m sorry,¡¨ she called. ¡§But, um, could you put that thing down? You¡¦re scaring me. I don¡¦t think you¡¦re gripping it right, and I don¡¦t want you to hurt anyone¡K¡¨

I glared, but didn¡¦t put the bow down. ¡§Who are you? Why are you here?¡¨

¡§My name¡¦s Jade. I¡¦m here ¡¥cause¡K you see, I¡¦m ¡V I¡¦m running away from home.¡¨

I lowered the bow. ¡§I¡¦m running away too¡K not exactly away, but¡K I want to be a knight. I¡¦m Ariel.¡¨

Jade whistled. ¡§Like Alanna the Lioness, huh?¡¨ Now finally able to see her clearly, I saw that she had black hair like me, but her eyes were¡K not really one color at all. They were constantly changing, blue, to green, to purple, to brown, to hazel, etc. It was unsettling. She would just stare, and imagine those eyes shifting as she stood there, burning holes into you. I backed away impulsively. But, somehow, she looked familiar¡K

She sighed, closing her eyes. ¡§I am not supernatural, I am not a goddess, I am not a ¡V a _witch_, I am not a Dark sorceress, I am Jade of ¡V of Crystal Ridge!¡¨ 

¡§I didn¡¦t say you were.¡¨

¡§I know what you were thinking. Don¡¦t think you¡¦re the first one to think that I¡¦m something not of this world. Sometimes I just _hate_ my eyes, the way they¡¦re always ¡V always changing,¡¨ Jade confided. She gazed wistfully into my beautiful bluish sea-green eyes. ¡§I wish I had your eyes. They¡¦re so _lovely_. And your _hair_¡K¡¨

¡§I have to cut it,¡¨ I told her. ¡§Knights can¡¦t have long hair. Enemies could easily seize it and where would I be then?¡¨ I sat down by my fire.

¡§Ariel¡K what makes you so sure that they¡¦ll let you train? Just because The Lioness ¡V ¡¨

¡§They¡¦ll let me,¡¨ I interrupted stubbornly. ¡§I¡¦ll show them.¡¨

Jade took a seat too. ¡§Can I camp with you tonight?¡¨ she asked, blushing. ¡§I¡¦m not exactly equipped for the wilderness¡K¡¨ All she had brought was some food and a bow and arrow, like me. 

¡§Of course. Knights are always courteous and generous.¡¨ I flashed a smile. ¡§I might as well start practicing now.¡¨

Jade opened her mouth, then hesitated and closed it. It didn¡¦t seem to matter that she hadn¡¦t spoken. 

¡§Jade of Crystal Ridge¡K where is that?¡¨

¡§Oh, it¡¦s, um, near the Great Road East. Where are you from again¡K?¡¨

¡§Landen.¡¨

¡§Huh,¡¨ Jade mused. Then she blushed again. ¡§Umm¡K where are we now? I haven¡¦t, well, I ¡V¡¨

¡§We¡¦re near the River Olorun, we can stop there tomorrow.¡¨ 

¡§Okay.¡¨ There was a long period of silence, in which Jade poked at the fire, and I wondered where I¡¦d seen her before¡K

¡§Do you have the Gift?¡¨ Jade blurted out. ¡§No, right? Be ¡V because I¡K¡¨

In answer to her question, I summoned the fire deep within me and it emerged from my fingertips, a swirling aura of black with a shimmer of blue.

She bit her lip, like Jocelyn had often done, when I mishandled a spell. Jocelyn¡K Jocelyn!

¡§Do _you _have the Gift?¡¨

¡§What do you think?¡¨ she snapped. 

¡§Well, no ¡V ¡¨

¡§So just lay off!¡¨ she shouted angrily. 

¡§Look, I¡¦m sorry, I didn¡¦t mean to ¡V ¡¨

¡§Jocelyn was like that. She was always trying to show off, with her _silver fire_, always teasing, mocking me, ¡¥oh poor Jade, no Gift like _me_, the greatest of them all¡¦ ¡V¡¨

¡§So you _are _related to Jocelyn!¡¨ I cried excitedly. ¡§You¡¦re her sister, aren¡¦t you?¡¨

¡§No,¡¨ Jade snarled. ¡§I¡¦m the Pitiful One. Giftless, powerless, Jade.¡¨ Then her eyes widened in fear, changing from a flashing red-brown to the purest sea green I had ever seen. ¡§You ¡V you know _Jocelyn_? As in, Jocelyn Carson?¡¨

¡§She was my teacher for my Gift.¡¨

Jade¡¦s face twisted with rage. ¡§That stuck-up, pompous, condescending, excuse of a sister?¡¨

¡§You _are_ her sister!¡¨

She clapped her hands over her mouth. ¡§No, I mean, yes, but it¡¦s not ¡V not what you think, I mean, she¡¦s Carson, but Crystal Ridge, and she ¡V she¡K¡¨

¡§I wonder why she didn¡¦t ever mention you¡K?¡¨ I mused.

¡§Forget it. Let¡¦s sleep,¡¨ Jade snapped. ¡§I don¡¦t know about you, but I¡¦m exhausted, and as knights _are_ always chivalrous, why don¡¦t you offer the lady a blanket?¡¨

So¡K whaddya think? Should I write more? Or drop it? Please please _please _review???


	2. Kylaia al J'maa

Disclaimer: What I said in the first chapter.

A/N: Look, I¡¦m really sorry about the weird symbols and stuff, but I can¡¦t do anything about it. When I go into my story on my computer, it looks fine. (Shrugs sadly) Just use your common sense. And yes, Blackstar, I decided to dedicate this to you, I borrowed your name without meaning to, so I might as well. Thanks for dedicating ¡§Friends No More¡¨ to me! I LOVED it. And I feel that I need to return that KIND KIND deed. I¡¦m really sorry this isn¡¦t a K/N fic, but¡K KEL AND NEAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!! Cleon is a piffle head. Also¡K did I spell Kylaia al J¡¦maa right? I don¡¦t have my SotL books with me right now¡K sorry. And the facts might not all be accurate.

Lioness of God

I was never an early bird. More like a late worm. So when I woke at two hours to midday the next morning, Jade was dismayed and impatient. ¡§Come _on_!¡¨

She was itching to go. ¡§What¡¦s for breakfast?¡¨ I mumbled. 

¡§Eat on the way. Let¡¦s go!¡¨

¡§I need to ¡V¡¨

¡§_Hurry_!¡¨

I splashed my face with water from a canteen. _Gods_, I thought. _Why did I have to pick a travel companion that¡¦s an early waker?_

__I swung up on Twilight, who whinnied. ¡§Did you feed her already?¡¨ I yawned sleepily. 

¡§Yes, I did, now hustle!¡¨

Mithros.

¡§Umm¡K Ariel? Can I ride with you? I didn¡¦t bring a mount, and it¡¦s ¡V ¡¨

¡§Get up.¡¨

Jade grinned, and swung up behind me. ¡§So, where to?¡¨

I sighed and braced myself for a long day.

***

I was falling asleep on Twilight, while Jade was chattering about random things, like what she thought about what happened on ¡§King¡¨ Jon¡¦s Coronation Day, or what the best way to grip a bow was (glaring at me reprovingly). I didn¡¦t notice and didn¡¦t care. Then I realized that her last sentence had been a question.

¡§Wha¡¦?¡¨ I mumbled sleepily.

Sighing, Jade repeated, ¡§_Do you think we should stop now_?¡¨

¡§Why¡K¡¨ 

¡§_It¡¦s midday, Twilight needs to rest and we need to eat_.¡¨

¡§Oh. Of course¡K¡¨

We found a stream and laid a blanket down to sit on. As I bit into my roll, the food revived me, and I was able to think again. Why _had _Jade seemed so edgy when I mentioned Jocelyn last night? She had mentioned, ¡§Pitiful One.¡¨ Possibly she teased Jade about not having the Gift. But how could that be? I tried to imagine my soft-spoken, gentle instructor taunting Jade. The image would not form. I sighed.

Jade heard the sigh. ¡§What are you thinking about?¡¨ she inquired dreamily, looking up at the clouds.

I doubted she wanted to have Jocelyn brought up again. ¡§Oh, thinking about which direction to go towards, I guess.¡¨

¡§Well, we¡¦re going to Corus, right? We can stop here and head towards there¡K¡¨ She had drawn a map in the dirt. 

¡§It doesn¡¦t make a difference to me. I just want to get to the palace,¡¨ I told Jade. 

She cast me a dirty look. We rested for a while, and then got back on Twilight.

***

It was a week later. We were very near Corus, according to Jade. I still hadn¡¦t found out about her and Jocelyn. I was dying to know, but couldn¡¦t bring myself to ask. It pained me to see her squirm when I used my Gift just to create a fire at night.

Then, it was the night of the thunderstorm. I thought it was odd, how the winds blew that day, and the clouds overhead. ¡§We¡¦ll never reach Corus in time,¡¨ Jade shouted above the howl of the winds. ¡§I know a place where we can stay. Will you let me lead Twilight?¡¨

I shouted a reply back to her. ¡§Yes!¡¨

¡§Great! Here, get on! The river¡¦ll get all muddy. We need to go before we get stuck!¡¨

We were supposed to be heading northwest, but Jade turned east. I decided to let her do what she wanted. Soon we arrived at a dreary-looking place, yet it had an air of pride about it. 

¡§Here!¡¨ she shouted. ¡§Let me get Twilight to the stables. You just go on in, and tell them you know Jade.¡¨ Sheets of rain drenched us, and Jade¡¦s voice was nearly inaudible over the howl of the winds. 

I dismounted, and ran to what seemed to be the entrance of the building. A tall, fit woman answered my knock. ¡§Yes?¡¨ she asked me. ¡§Would you like some refuge from the storm?¡¨

¡§Please,¡¨ I answered. ¡§And¡K I know Jade.¡¨ I felt foolish to just say it, like that. But the woman seemed to brighten, and she inquired politely, ¡§Is she well?¡¨

¡§Actually, I¡¦m right here,¡¨ came a voice from behind me. 

¡§Jade! It¡¦s really you!¡¨ she cried. 

I felt like I was intruding on their reunion. I tried to edge away, but then Jade caught me. ¡§This is Ariel,¡¨ she introduced. ¡§Ariel of Landen. I¡¦m accompanying her to the palace. She wants to be a knight. Ariel, Kylaia al J¡¦maa. She¡¦s the Shang Unicorn.¡¨

¡§A knight?¡¨ Kylaia frowned. ¡§They are accepting girls already?¡¨ 

I swallowed. ¡§I don¡¦t know,¡¨ I answered truthfully. ¡§But I want to try.¡¨ Then I asked, ¡§Shang? This is a Shang ¡V Jade, how do you know Shang ¡V ¡¨

¡§I¡¦m hungry,¡¨ Jade interrupted. ¡§Got anything to eat?¡¨ She walked quickly toward down the hall. ¡§Kylaia, Ariel, come on!¡¨ 

As the Shang Unicorn caught up with her, I saw Jade whisper something briefly into Kylaia¡¦s ear. She gave Jade a strange look, as if to say ¡§why?¡¨ Jade motioned for her to come closer again, and murmured something else. Kylaia gave her a gaze of sympathy, and smiled warmly. I shook my head. What was that all about?

***

As Jade and I lay on our separate mattresses in the darkened room, I whispered, ¡§What were you saying?¡¨

¡§What do you mean?¡¨ was the sleepy answer.

¡§When you were talking to Kylaia on the way to the mess.¡¨

¡§Oh that,¡¨ she mumbled. ¡§I¡K just a second¡K got to¡K remember¡K¡¨ I heard a tiny snuffle, then deep, even breathing. I sighed. She was asleep. 

_Why doesn¡¦t she ever answer my questions_? I wondered. _Is she hiding something_?_ Or just coincidence_?

In the morning, Jade had to shake me to get up. ¡§Mmph,¡¨ I grunted. ¡§I¡¦m up!¡¨

She just shook her head and went into the adjoining bathroom to wash up. I rolled out of the small cot. Standing up to stretch my legs, I stumbled to where Jade was fixing her raven hair with a navy blue tie. She looked up as I staggered in. 

¡§Time for a new day!¡¨ she exclaimed brightly. ¡§I want to show you the¡K¡¨

I closed my eyes and sighed.

Well, that¡¦s my second chapter! PLEEZ review ppls, you know I value your opinions!;-) And I now how it feels to have your name on someone else¡¦s fic, it makes you feel so proud, so from now on I will post all those who have reviewed! From the third chapter on. Hehe.


	3. Humiliation and Jeremy

Disclaimer: What I said in Chapter 1.

A/N: I just realized that I never put the chapter numbers, so I¡¦m going to start now. Also, here¡¦s my thanks to the ppl who reviewed as of July 13, 2001:

Ginelle

Grace

Katie

Lauren Carel

Angel Fish

Lioness Grrl

Tropicalfrost86

Thank you all, reviewers! I totally appreciate your effort. As for the rest of you ppl, what is with you? All you gotta put in that blue-white box is comments/suggestions/flames! Although you don¡¦t have to do to that last one!;-)On with the story! Also, I just found out, Ariella, Arielle, Liona, Lona, Kefira, Leonie, and Tiaret mean ¡§lioness¡¨ too. Coincidence? 

Lioness of God Chapter 3 Dedicated to Jocelyn (Blackstar) 

Jade was touring me through the Shang building, and I was cranky, impatient, and bored. 

¡§Goddess, you¡¦re snappish today,¡¨ Jade commented. ¡§Not that you aren¡¦t every morning.¡¨

¡§Shush up,¡¨ I growled crossly. 

We eventually ended up in the middle of a training room. Jade was watching the warriors practice with fascination, while I was trying to catch up on the hours of sleep I¡¦d missed. Every time I almost managed to doze off, she would compliment on something I wouldn¡¦t have missed in life.

Finally, I took off the pack I¡¦d slung on my back, and pulled out a bag of raisins. I chewed them slowly and it gave me something to do other than fall asleep. 

¡§Look at that man¡¦s grip. It should be on that woman¡¦s forearm, not elbow. Look how easily she dislodged him. It¡¦s not ¡V ¡¨

¡§Do me a favor, Jade,¡¨ I murmured. ¡§And close your mouth.¡¨

She sneered at me and turned her attention back to the fighting. 

We spent about an hour in there. Finally, Jade tired of sitting there, and led me outside, onto the practice courts. ¡§Ready for some fighting, to-be-knight?¡¨ she smirked.

I edged away. ¡§I¡¦m still tired. I don¡¦t think I¡¦ll go right now.¡¨

She grabbed my arm. ¡§No, you¡¦re just saying that. Come on. You want to be a knight, you practice.¡¨

I struggled valiantly, but to no avail. Jade held fast. ¡§All right, all right,¡¨ I muttered. ¡§But this is only because I need to get in shape.¡¨

¡§Doesn¡¦t everyone?¡¨ Jade asked airily, before swinging her first blow. To tell the truth, I had had almost no training in this kind of thing, being a noble lady and all. I swung my hand blindly, my other arm covering my head. Her foot shot out, and tripped me as I stumbled, looking for where she was. I fell, and rolled, getting to my feet. She circled me as I watched her arms. Then her foot shot out again, striking my shin. I staggered, and she took that opportunity to punch my arm muscle so I couldn¡¦t lift it. With my other hand, I thumped her side pathetically. Jade was obviously holding back.

I finally knelt and declared, ¡§I yield.¡¨ I felt battered, bruised, and broken, but Jade was even breathing hard. 

¡§At least you made an effort,¡¨ came a voice from the sidewall. I turned. There stood the Shang Unicorn, obviously amused with my poor fighting skills. Crimson with humiliation, I turned back away. Looking carefully at Jade¡¦s feet, I asked, avoiding her eyes, ¡§Where¡¦d you learn that style of fighting?¡¨

Kylaia answered for her. ¡§Jade is training to become a Shang warrior.¡¨

¡§Jade?¡¨ I breathed, recovering from my redness. ¡§You¡¦re studying Shang?¡¨

¡§Yeah,¡¨ she muttered. ¡§That day I met you, I just had to get away, you know?¡¨

¡§You¡¦re already Shang,¡¨ Kylaia remarked with amusement. ¡§We never can stay in one place for long.¡¨

I gaped. ¡§Your parents must be very¡K¡¨ 

¡§Supportive,¡¨ she supplied quickly. ¡§They know, you can be sure they know, they let be come here, and learn from Kylaia, and they were very supportive, really very ¡V ¡¨ She might¡¦ve kept babbling, if not for Kylaia saying gently, ¡§Let¡¦s go inside.¡¨

We passed a boy our age, and he whispered in my ear, ¡§Nice try.¡¨ I spun around, surprised. He smiled reassuringly. I ducked my head, embarrassed. If anyone else had seen that¡K Goddess. I would be a laughingstock. 

¡§Who¡¦s that?¡¨ I asked Jade. She turned back. Blushing, she replied, ¡§Oh, that¡¦s ¡V that¡¦s Jeremy. He¡¦s really nice.¡¨ Noticing her red face, I realized, _she likes him_. My eyes lingering on his disheveled blonde hair and encouraging blue eyes, I smiled. Raven hair with blonde, constantly changing eyes with plain blue; they should be quite a match. Jeremy turned to look back at me, and grinned warmly. He had a nice smile.

Mentally, I slapped myself. _Jade already has her eyes on him_, I told myself sternly. _It wouldn¡¦t do to have two friends quarreling over a boy_. But Jade had been different once we¡¦d arrived here. I couldn¡¦t help but remember her sneer in the training rooms and the smirk when she¡¦d challenged me. 

Thinking of Jade¡¦s hair reminded me of my own. I¡¦d have to cut it if I was to become a knight. I¡¦d do it tonight. But my hair¡K I hadn¡¦t cut it since I was five years old. It was a comfort to me, to be able to swing it while walking, stroke it while listening, and shove it out from under me when I had to sit. Maybe ¡V just maybe, I could wait one more night¡K No. I had to do it today, or I¡¦d never have the courage. 

***

I emerged from the room and glanced around self-consciously. I still felt different with my new haircut. It was now to my earlobes. The curls had disappeared. As I strode down the hall, I kept having to raise my shoulders to feel my hair. It didn¡¦t feel right.

Entering the mess, I got a tray and my supper ¡V a crusty roll, chicken, a thin soup, and cake. I located where Jade was sitting and went to her table, noticing her stare. I eased myself down uncomfortably. 

Finally, she whispered, ¡§What happened?¡¨

¡§I told you a knight can¡¦t have long hair,¡¨ I reminded her as I bit into my roll. 

¡§Yes, but, it¡¦s so¡K _different_!¡¨

¡§I noticed,¡¨ I muttered irritably.

¡§Can I sit here?¡¨

I looked up and saw Jeremy standing next to me.

Jade answered. ¡§It¡¦s ¡¥may,¡¦ not ¡¥can.¡¦¡¨

¡§Sorry. _May _I sit here?¡¨

¡§Sure,¡¨ I told him. 

As he slid down next to me, I saw Jade watching enviously. I felt bad, but she¡¦d been acting different all day. Maybe this would show her.

¡§Hey, Jeremy, did you know that Ariel wants to be a knight?¡¨

He smiled at me. ¡§So your name¡¦s Ariel. Pleased to meet you. I love your hair! It¡¦s different, but it¡¦s great!¡¨

Jade was watching me again. She took this opportunity to say, ¡§You know, with your fighting skills, I wonder, how will you ever get them to accept you?¡¨

I blushed, embarrassed, but at the same time, I felt a white-hot rage grow inside me. How _dare _she do that?

Jeremy was staring at Jade. ¡§Jade! That wasn¡¦t ¡V wasn¡¦t¡K¡¨

¡§It¡¦s okay,¡¨ I muttered. ¡§She¡¦s telling the truth.¡¨

¡§Everyone can improve! Just ask Kylaia for training or even for simple exercises.¡¨

Jade sneered. ¡§So, lady knight, whatcha gonna do now?¡¨

I glared. ¡§I want to be the first lady page, other than Alanna the Lioness.¡¨ 

¡§Like that¡¦s ever going to happen,¡¨ Jade snorted. 

¡§It will,¡¨ I insisted stubbornly, while I waited for the anger that passed through me to subside. It didn¡¦t.

We glowered at each other as Jeremy quietly ate his supper. Finally I looked away and started on my chicken. What was Jade trying to do, show off in front of Jeremy? It wasn¡¦t exactly working. He¡¦d acted like she was being rude, and she was. I finished and excused myself. Jeremy immediately stood up too. 

¡§I¡¦ll walk you back to your room,¡¨ he offered. 

¡§Thanks,¡¨ I accepted quietly. 

Jade was staring at me with distaste. 

I started down the hallway, Jeremy at my side. ¡§Jade was being awfully rude,¡¨ he commented.

¡§I think so too.¡¨

We engaged in polite conversation the rest of the way, and I finally reached the room. ¡§Thanks,¡¨ I told him again. 

After a while, Jade came in the room. As she passed me, she whispered, ¡§You big flirt.¡¨ That hurt more than anything else she¡¦d done today. Already on my bed, I buried my face in my pillow, trying to keep back my tears. 

Sad and very messed up, I know. Umm¡K no flames for why Jade is acting this way, ¡¥cause I don¡¦t know quite yet. Just felt like doing something like that. Any ideas? Review, as always, and you¡¦ll get your name in my fic! Hyeh hyeh hyeh.


	4. Jade's Confession

Disclaimer: What I said in Chapter 1

Disclaimer: What I said in Chapter 1.

A/N: Thanks so much to the people who reviewed! I added personal thingies this time. If you want something better, tell me. (shrugs) Sorry if you don¡¦t like it. 

Ginelle ¡V You were my first reviewer, go you!

Grace ¡V I read one of your other reviews¡K I think you were the one¡K Are you K/N too? PLEEZ SAY YES!!! We need more Kel and Neal people in this world!!!

Katie ¡V I love Tamora Pierce too!!!!!

Lauren Carel ¡V Thanks a million for reviewing!!!!!

Angel Fish ¡V Hi Alex, thanks so much!

Lioness grrl ¡V Thanks for reviewing!!!

Tropicalfrost86 ¡V You know your story, Whispers of the Heart? IS IT K/N IS IT K/N IS IT K/N IS IT K/N IS IT K/N IS IT K/N??????? I LOVE K/N STORIES!!!!!!! 

Larzdinn ¡V Hey, thanks for your suggestion, trying not to make her sound pompous here. And also¡K (screams with ecstasy) I LOVE K/N stories!!! You rock!!! They are the BEST!  
DaniShea ¡V Thanks a lot!! I LOVE TAMORA PIERCE!!!!! She is my fave author!!!

Thanks to you all! As for the rest of you¡K why haven¡¦t you been reviewing? Wouldn¡¦t you rather be a cool reviewer and have your name on my list of thanks than a Jacuzzi person who read this but is taking it for granted and didn¡¦t review? Write a fanfic. Then you¡¦ll understand what it means to the author when someone reviews. You feel pride, joy, encouragement¡K I won¡¦t go on. I think it¡¦s about time for the story, don¡¦t you?

Lioness of God Chapter 4 Dedicated to Blackstar 

I sat up unwillingly. My body system was not working yet. Bright lights shone in my eyes, blinding me momentarily. When I realized what it was, I collapsed back into bed. ¡§Jade¡K¡¨ I muttered. 

She had turned on every lamp there was (A/N: Oil lamps? What exactly did Tortallans use to obtain light? If anyone knows, please tell me at [serena@nycap.rr.com][1], or just review), lit every candle, and opened every window. Light flared or streamed into the room. I had to pull my covers up over my head to calm my dazed eyes. 

¡§Oh, so we¡¦re on speaking terms now, are we?¡¨ Jade asked, every word dripping with sarcasm. 

¡§Jade, you¡¦re making a big deal over nothing.¡¨

¡§Am I?¡¨ She strode out of the room huffily.

I washed and got dressed. As I stared at my haircut in the mirror, I thought about Jade. Should I apologize? _For what? _I asked myself. _I didn¡¦t do anything wrong_, _it¡¦s Jade that¡¦s being mean_. If I apologized now, she would think that she could do anything and everything, push me around, force me to do things. _A knight can¡¦t be weak_, I told myself. _It will get him and the people he¡¦s leading into trouble_. _Or _she¡¦s _leading_, I corrected stubbornly. Knights were no longer just men. 

I strolled to the mess, and saw Jeremy and Jade. Getting my breakfast, I went over to them, but paused, unsure of whom to sit next to. Jeremy solved the problem for me and scooted over, leaving me a space to sit. I grinned at him, and seated myself. If Jade noticed, she didn¡¦t show it. 

¡§Do any of you know where I can find Kylaia?¡¨ I asked. Jade ignored me, but Jeremy suggested a couple of places for me to look. 

¡§Try the training rooms, practice courts, her chambers maybe,¡¨ he recommended. ¡§Or ask someone else that knows better.¡¨

I thanked him and left on my search. I finally found the Unicorn stretching on a mat in one of the warm-up rooms. ¡§Kylaia?¡¨ I asked timidly.

She looked up and smiled warmly. ¡§Ariel! What brings you here?¡¨

¡§I was wondering if you could show me how to fight properly. I don¡¦t think they¡¦ll accept me as a page with my combating skills right now.¡¨ I gave her a lopsided grin.

¡§Everyone learns,¡¨ she assured. ¡§We can start right now. First, you¡¦ll need to do some stretching and exercises¡K¡¨

__

***

I groaned. Every muscle in my body ached, unused to the strain. 

¡§Oh, come on. You¡¦ve got to get used to this sometime!¡¨ Kylaia taunted. ¡§If you¡¦re going to be a knight, act like one!¡¨

I staggered to my feet, sore after an hour of practicing. ¡§It was only an hour,¡¨ she chided. ¡§Get up, and be a knight!¡¨

¡§But these are just exercises,¡¨ I whimpered. ¡§When will I get to start the _real _training?¡¨

Kylaia gave a full-throated laugh. ¡§I get that question from almost every pupil I have,¡¨ she chuckled. ¡§You were bound to ask sometime. You see, exercising _is _training, in a way. It¡¦s preparing for the real instruction. Without it, you won¡¦t do half as well on the real stuff. Practicing drills is a great way to improve your skills. You¡¦ll be able to throw me in no time¡K or so it will seem.¡¨ (A/N: Sorry, that made absolutely no sense. I got a lot from my swim coach. LOL!)

I nodded and crouched wearily in the fighting stance, getting ready for another beating.

***

At supper that night, I decided to confront Jade. I grabbed my meal hurriedly, desperate to reach her before Jeremy came. Plopping my tray beside her, I asked, ¡§Just why are you so mad at me?¡¨

Jade looked up and stared at me. ¡§I¡¦m not mad,¡¨ she informed me finally.

¡§You sure seem like it,¡¨ I snorted, sitting down beside her. 

She seemed to study me critically before saying, ¡§I¡¦ve been lying to you all this time.¡¨

I nearly dropped my fork. ¡§_What_?¡¨

Jade stared past me, nodding her head at someone. I whirled around, and was greeted with the sight of Jeremy sauntering towards our table. I got the hint and went back to eating. As he sat down next to me, she merely glanced at us. Shaking my head, I thought, _Maybe her moods can change as quickly as her eye color_.

After supper, I followed her back to our room. Shutting the door, I turned to her and asked, ¡§What are you talking about? You lied to me? All this time? What¡K?¡¨

¡§You¡¦ll find out sooner or later,¡¨ Jade responded dully. ¡§I might as well.¡¨

¡§Do tell,¡¨ I insisted.

¡§I¡¦m not from Crystal Ridge. It¡¦s not even a fief. I made it up. I¡¦m a commoner, studying to become a Shang warrior. My parents don¡¦t know. I ran away from home.¡¨ Looking away, she continued, ¡§My real name is Jade Carson, and yes, I am Jocelyn¡¦s sister. She really wasn¡¦t that bad, but¡K She has the Gift, as you know.¡¨ I nodded, and she took a deep breath. ¡§Jocelyn used to¡K well, she¡¦d tease me because I didn¡¦t have it. And she¡¦d ¡V she¡¦d use it on me, when we were alone, and threatened that if I told our parents, she would make me sorry.

¡§I told the first time, when I was four. My parents didn¡¦t believe me, Jocelyn was more important to them than me. She was older and she had the Gift. I was useless, except for marriage. When it came time, I flat-out refused to go to _convent school_,¡¨ Jade spat. ¡§I wasn¡¦t a bit lady-like anyway. Then Kylaia came through our village, and was mesmerized by the Shang. It was all I could talk about for weeks. The day before I was to go to the convent, I sneaked out and walked all the way here. Kylaia was good to me, and acted as the mother I never really had. I owe her a lot. 

¡§The conclusion of all this is¡K Well, I¡¦m afraid of the Gift, I¡¦ve been lying to you, and I¡¦m sorry.¡¨ Jade blushed.

I clasped her warmly on the shoulder. ¡§I understand. It¡¦s just that Jocelyn seemed so nice and¡K I never would have thought she¡¦d do that to you. I¡¦ll try not to use my Gift too much with you around.¡¨ Relief flowed through Jade¡¦s eyes.

¡§You forgive me for being so¡K difficult?¡¨

¡§I know you really like Jeremy,¡¨ I informed slyly. 

Jade¡¦s eyes turned a liquidy hazel and widened. ¡§It¡¦s that noticeable?¡¨ 

¡§Yes.¡¨

She moaned. ¡§I¡¦ll have to find a way to cover it up¡K And Ariel? All those times¡K I think I was jealous. So you _do _forgive me?¡¨

I stared into her now emerald eyes. ¡§Jade Carson, I do forgive you.¡¨

She laughed in relief. ¡§Thanks so much, Ariel!¡¨ she cried, burying her face in my shoulder. ¡§You¡¦re the best friend anyone could ever have!¡¨

Now was that lame or was that lame? It was lame, I know, don¡¦t rub it in. Review as always, and you get your name posted in my List of Thanks. By the way, does anyone think I¡¦m breaking the Privacy laws or whatever? By doing that? If you don¡¦t want your name posted, put that in your review. And if anyone is pro-K/N like me, tell me in the review, although that has absolutely nothing to do with this story!!! I LOVE KEL AND NEAL!!!! THEY BELONG TOGETHER! YEAH!!!!!! (Ahem.) Cleon people, stay out of this. I hate Cleon. NO OFFENSE, NO OFFENSE, you can review too, but don¡¦t mention POTS, okay? Okay.

   [1]: mailto:serena@nycap.rr.com



	5. Decision

Disclaimer: What I said in Chapter One.

A/N: Thanks for reviewing, faithful, uh¡K reviewers!

Ginelle ¡V You are _still _my first reviewer, that makes you special!!!

Grace ¡V I wrote more, hope it¡¦s soon enough. 

Katie ¡V Thank you thank you thank you for reviewing, every review means _so _much to me. (wipes tears away)

Lauren Carel ¡V I wrote more!

Angel Fish ¡V I reviewed your story, Alex, hope that makes up for this. 

Lioness grrl ¡V D¡¦you understand the extra letters now?

Tropicalfrost86 ¡V Whispers of the Heart _is _K/N, right? ¡¥Cause that¡¦s what I read ¡V K/N stories. 

Larzdinn ¡V You ROCK!!! K/N stories are THE best. Btw, I planning to post a K/N after I finish chapter one of it¡K basic story is Tortall is a modern world, Kel and Neal are the same age, Neal asks Kel out. I FEEL SO SPECIAL!!! You are so cool, you reviewed TWICE!!! Go you!!!! And yes, I loved your smilies. Thanks for the tip on the lights. J You are soo right ¡V K/N was made in heaven!!! Neal deserves Kel, Cleon doesn¡¦t. (nods to console herself)

DaniShea ¡V I love Tamora Pierce, ¡¥cause without her, there wouldn¡¦t have been Kel or Neal. (grins)

Daine ¡V Thanko. I¡¦m so glad you love it!!!

The rest of you ppl, hellooooo??? Don¡¦t you want your name on that pretty lil¡¦ list I got there? Isn¡¦t it wonderful? (smiles happily) Anyhow, is anyone else K/N? We need more of that kind of people in this world. Kel and Neal forever¡K You know what? Never IM me when I¡¦m high and hyper, ¡¥cause that¡¦s pretty much all I can think about. K/N and sugar. Right, Alez? ¡¥Cause Kel and Neal ROCK!!! They would look so nice dancing together¡K I¡¦ve read only 266 pages of Squire so far, but who cares? In Page, wasn¡¦t Kel thinking that she was almost as tall as him? Uhh, right. The story.

Lioness of God Chapter 5 

Dedicated to Blackstar (Jocelyn)

It was about two weeks later. Kylaia had a whole group of Shang trainees on mats stretching and drilling. Among them were Jade, Jeremy, and I. Then the Unicorn beckoned me out, alone. Mystified, I got up, shook out my still short hair, and went out.

¡§Ariel,¡¨ she intoned softly. ¡§I know you said you wanted to be a knight, and I think your skills are improving. I would say you can leave for the palace in three days.¡¨

I blinked, words catching in my throat. I¡¦d kept putting off leaving here, and finally, Kylaia was telling me I could go in three days? Swallowing, I replied, ¡§That¡¦s ¡V that¡¦s wonderful.¡¨

She beamed. ¡§Yes, I¡¦m so _proud _of you. You¡¦re so attentive, and you work hard, even at things you don¡¦t care for. You¡¦ve come so far in twelve days or so. You¡¦re going to do great things as a knight, Ariel of Landen, great things.¡¨

It was probably the highest praise I¡¦d ever received in my life. I loved my parents, but they weren¡¦t ones that were high on compliments. My brothers were always teasing me and had never said anything better than a ¡§You look nice.¡¨ Keeping tears back, I whispered, ¡§Thank you, Kylaia.¡¨

¡§No need to thank me,¡¨ she replied gruffly. ¡§It was my pleasure.¡¨

***

Somehow, I wasn¡¦t so sure if I wanted to leave or not. Two days had already passed, and I was still wondering about my decision. By this time, I could do simple drills, and I could fall correctly, slapping the ground. ¡§I don¡¦t want you to get too used to Shang ways,¡¨ Kylaia had explained. ¡§What they teach you at the palace will probably be different than these techniques. You¡¦ll have to adjust.¡¨

I asked Jade what I should do. ¡§If you stay here, great. If you leave for the palace, I¡¦ll miss you.¡¨ She shrugged. I was a little hurt by her indifference, but all of a sudden, she leaped up and wrapped her arms tightly around me into a big hug. ¡§I wish you would stay,¡¨ she whispered. ¡§But I know you¡¦ve wanted this for a long time.¡¨ I smiled gratefully. ¡§Now I¡¦m not so sure¡K¡¨ I told her hesitantly. Hope flickered in Jade¡¦s now olive green eyes. Then it died. The green darkened to almost-black. ¡§I know you¡¦re going to go to the palace,¡¨ she muttered dully. The black lightened to a sapphire, then sky blue. I¡¦d learned to tell Jade¡¦s moods by the color of her eyes. Now she was reflecting on her memories. ¡§What makes you so sure?¡¨ I inquired softly. ¡§No one I¡¦ve ever cared about cares _enough _to stay with me,¡¨ she whispered forlornly. ¡§My grandfather died when I was five. Jocelyn became cruel to me. My dog, Kerry, was killed in an accident. I¡¦ve never had anything to hope for. I have no _right _to hope for anything. I¡¦m never going to get it.¡¨

I touched her shoulder gently, and walked out of the room. I¡¦d never thought about the fact that Jade wouldn¡¦t be coming with me. I¡¦d miss her for sure. A hot flow of tears threatened to overflow, and I blinked several times. 

¡§Hey!¡¨ It was Jeremy. ¡§I heard you were going tomorrow. I just wanted to wish you luck, and ¡V and I¡¦ll miss you.¡¨ He blushed. 

I stared critically at him. Was he really _blushing_? ¡§I might not go,¡¨ I told him finally. ¡§I¡¦m still thinking.¡¨

¡§I think you should at least try,¡¨ he murmured. ¡§Even if they don¡¦t accept you, you¡¦re always welcome here.¡¨ Jeremy smiled that smile over which Jade swooned.

¡§Thanks.¡¨

As we went our separate ways, I thought, _Maybe he¡¦s right_. _I should at least try_, _and even if I don¡¦t get in_, _Kylaia will welcome me here_.

***

I was packed and ready to go. Twilight was saddled, Jade was prepared too, with another mount. I remembered when I¡¦d asked her to accompany me to Corus. 

¡§Please, Jade?¡¨ I¡¦d pleaded. 

¡§No. It hurts too much.¡¨ She¡¦d looked as if her favorite dog had died¡K but then, it had.

I¡¦d used every strategy there was to persuade her to come, but I felt selfish now. She would have to go through pain and hurt again, just because I wanted her to come so I wouldn¡¦t feel lonely. 

Kylaia and Jeremy came to say goodbye. Kylaia just gripped my shoulder and nodded, beaming proudly. I smiled waveringly back at her. She went to go discuss with Jade what route we would take. I turned to Jeremy. He was staring at me. 

¡§I¡¦ll miss you,¡¨ he started.

¡§I¡¦ll miss you too.¡¨ There wasn¡¦t much else to say after that. ¡§I¡¦ll come back and visit,¡¨ I added.

¡§Ariel¡K¡¨

¡§Hmm?¡¨

Jeremy leaned over hesitantly, and quickly brushed his lips to mine. Just as swiftly as he¡¦d bent toward me, he pulled back, and ran inside. I stood there stunned for a second.

¡§I knew it.¡¨ I snapped towards Jade.

¡§What?¡¨I gasped.

¡§He likes you.¡¨

¡§No, he doesn¡¦t ¡V ¡¨

¡§Oh, come on. It¡¦s obvious,¡¨ Jade affirmed loftily. ¡§Let¡¦s go.¡¨

***

We had reached Corus. Eyes stinging with unshed tears, I whispered, ¡§I¡¦ll miss you, Jade.¡¨ 

¡§I will too.¡¨

There was nothing we could really say. Shifting and avoiding each other¡¦s eyes, we rode in the opposite direction. Taking a deep breath, I steered Twilight into the city gates¡K and turned to look at Jade. Watching her back disappear¡K so forlorn¡K Should I¡K?

¡§_Jade_!¡¨

She turned back, broke into a huge grin, and rode up to meet me.

A¡¦right, I guess you should know what happens next. Ariel goes back, becomes Shang, everything. Anyone know how long it takes to become a Shang _______? Like, the Shang Unicorn? How long do you have to train? Pleez review, as always.


	6. Reunion

Disclaimer: What I said in Chapter One

Disclaimer: What I said in Chapter One.

A/N: Thanking only new reviews this time:

Fan of Tortall ¡V Hey, thanks for reviewing!!!

Larzdinn ¡V All right, I¡¦ve come to the conclusion that YOU ROCK, GIRL!!!! You reviewed THREE TIMES!!!!!! K/N _is _the coolest; they are made in heaven, as you said¡K Thanks so much for trying to answer my questions, and I¡¦m glad you thought that part with A/J was sweet!!! Oh, just realized that those¡¦re the same initials for Alanna/Jon! No, I meant Ariel/Jeremy. Yes, I do love your smilies. And I¡¦m going to make Ariel graduate (or whatever they call it) when she¡¦s eighteen, I think. She¡¦ll just be a really fast learner, like you said, and in answer to your question about Ariel¡¦s training: I am so so so terribly sorry, but I have to skip the part when she trains, because you see, I¡¦ve got a dangerous little quest for her after she becomes Shang or whatever, and I¡¦d have too many chapters then!!! Except, I don¡¦t know what the quest is going to be yet, I only know I¡¦m making her go on a quest. Heh heh. Any ideas? Thanks so much for reviewing, I owe you. Oh, I just realized that Ariel/Jeremy/Jade are all still ten¡K there can¡¦t be that much romance¡K ah, well.

Aliya ¡V Hey, thanks so much, I owe you one.;-)

Lioness ¡V YES!!! I¡¦m K/N too!!! I LOVE Kel and Neal!!! Don¡¦t they just belong together?

Sami ¡V You reviewed TWICE!!!! YAY!!! Go you!!!!! Thanko for the e-mails, I feel so special. I am not alone in this world anymore!! And here I was, thinking my humor was one-of-a-kind¡K

Another A/N: All right, who has me on Author Alert? (screams ecstatically) Of course, it might be someone who reviewed one of my other stories, but just in case it¡¦s Lioness of God, I want to ask. WHO WHO WHO??? I really owe whoever does!!!

Lioness of God Chapter 6 Dedicated to Blackstar 

I could imagine Kylaia and Jeremy¡¦s surprise to see me, but still, when I walked in and saw their faces, it was comical. They gasped, recovered, threw themselves at me and sobbed and told me how much they¡¦d missed me¡K

Not really.

Actually, it happened like this. As classes were still in session, I peeked in all the usual places to find Kylaia. She was teaching. As her students practiced and she watched them critically, I crept up by her ear and whispered, ¡§Now I can work on those drills.¡¨

She spun, saw me, and sighed with relief. ¡§Oh, I _hoped _you would stay,¡¨ she gushed. 

I went to find Jeremy next. He was outside on the practice courts with another boy; his name was Derek, I think. As Derek went in for a blow, I signaled to Jeremy. Instead of blocking, he gaped at me and got thwacked in the process. Blushing furiously, he gestured a time-out. 

¡§You decided to come back?¡¨ he breathed.

I grinned. ¡§Yes.¡¨

He hugged me timidly, but then had to go back to practice with Derek.

As I surveyed my surroundings, I thought, _Maybe it¡¦s not so bad to stay after all_.

***

After supper, Kylaia pulled me aside. ¡§Ariel¡K you have the Gift, don¡¦t you?¡¨

¡§Yes, I do.¡¨ I started to show her my blue/black glow, but she shook her head firmly.

¡§The Shang consider it cheating, Ariel.¡¨

I was stunned. ¡§You mean¡K I can¡¦t use it?¡¨

¡§Not in combat.¡¨

I bit my lip. I couldn¡¦t imagine life without my Gift, but I was Shang now¡K wasn¡¦t I? Sighing, I thought some more. ¡§I can use it for other things, right? Just not fighting.¡¨

Kylaia cocked her head. ¡§Well¡K¡¨ she hesitated. ¡§All right.¡¨

Relieved, I went back to my room. As I lay in bed that night, I thought of what was to come. I would have to study hard, _very _hard, because I¡¦d started late. And then I¡¦d have to take the ordeal, which wasn¡¦t so different from a knight; they had an ordeal too. And then, even if I passed, I¡¦d have to survive the first year. _Then _I was truly Shang, and I could pick a name. Giddily, I thought, how about the Shang Lioness? If Alanna was the knight Lioness, I¡¦d be the Shang Lioness. We¡¦d be equal. 

All right, that was really short, but I didn¡¦t want to rush into it. Think of it as a transition. See, the next chapter is going to be when she¡¦s done training, so¡K (shrugs) Review as always.


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